Semiconductor strips with undercuts and methods for forming the same

ABSTRACT

An integrated circuit device includes a semiconductor substrate, and a semiconductor strip extending into the semiconductor substrate. A first and a second dielectric region are on opposite sides of, and in contact with, the semiconductor strip. Each of the first dielectric region and the second dielectric region includes a first portion level with the semiconductor strip, and a second portion lower than the semiconductor strip. The second portion further includes a portion overlapped by the semiconductor strip.

This application claims the benefit of the following provisionally filedU.S. patent application: Application Ser. No. 61/778,303, filed Mar. 12,2013, and entitled “Semiconductor Strips with Undercuts and Methods forForming the Same,” which application is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

Transistors are key components of modern integrated circuits. To satisfythe requirements of increasingly faster speed, the drive currents oftransistors need to be increasingly greater. To achieve this increase inperformance, the gate lengths of transistors are constantly being scaleddown. Scaling down the gate lengths, however, leads to undesirableeffects known as “short-channel effects,” in which the control ofcurrent flow by the gates is compromised. Among the short-channeleffects are the Drain-Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) and thedegradation of sub-threshold slope, both of which resulting in thedegradation in the performance of transistors.

The use of a multi-gate transistor architecture may help the relief ofshort-channel effects. Fin Field-Effect Transistors (FinFET) were thusdeveloped. FinFETs have increased channel widths. The increase in thechannel widths is achieved by forming channels that include portions onthe sidewalls of semiconductor fins and portions on the top surfaces ofthe semiconductor fins. Since the drive currents of transistors areproportional to the channel widths, the drive currents of the FinFETsare increased.

In an existing FinFET formation process, Shallow Trench Isolation (STI)regions are first formed in a silicon substrate. The STI regions arethen recessed to form silicon fins, which are portions of the siliconsubstrate that are over the recessed STI regions. Next, a gatedielectric, a gate electrode, and source and drain regions are formed tofinish the formation of the FinFET. In the respective FinFET, thechannel includes both the sidewalls and the top surfaces of thesemiconductor fins, and hence the drive current of the FinFET is highwith relative to the chip area used by the FinFET. Accordingly, FinFETis becoming a trend in recent generations of integrated circuits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the embodiments, and the advantagesthereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A through 9C are cross-sectional views and top views ofintermediate stages in the manufacturing of Fin Field-Effect Transistors(FinFETs) in accordance with some exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of isolated semiconductorstrips that have substantially flat bottom surfaces in accordance withsome alternative embodiments;

FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of isolated semiconductorstrips that are not fully separated from the underlying semiconductorsubstrate in accordance with some exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of isolated semiconductorstrips that have non-vertical sidewalls in accordance with someexemplary embodiments; and

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of isolated semiconductorstrips that have non-vertical sidewalls and flat bottom surfaces inaccordance with some exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The making and using of the embodiments of the disclosure are discussedin detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the embodimentsprovide many applicable concepts that can be embodied in a wide varietyof specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed areillustrative, and do not limit the scope of the disclosure.

A Field-Effect Transistor (FinFET) and the method of forming the sameare provided in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. Theintermediate stages of forming the FinFET are illustrated. Thevariations and the operation of the FinFET in accordance with theembodiments are discussed. Throughout the various views and illustrativeembodiments, like reference numbers are used to designate like elements.

FIGS. 1A through 9C are cross-sectional views and top views ofintermediate stages in the manufacturing of Fin Field-Effect Transistors(FinFETs) in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. Each of theFIGS. 1A-9C is referenced with one of letters “A,” “B,” and “C,” whereinall figures with the numbers ending with letter “A” are the top views ofa respective wafer 100, on which the FinFET is formed. All figures withthe numbers ending with letter “B” are obtained from a plane crossingline B-B′ of the respective top view. All figures with the numbersending with letter “C” are obtained from a plane crossing line C-C′ ofthe respective top view.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C illustrate the formation of trenches 26 insubstrate 20, which is a portion of a wafer. Substrate 20 may besemiconductor substrate, which may be, for example, a silicon substrate,a silicon germanium substrate, or a substrate formed of othersemiconductor materials. Substrate 20 is a bulk substrate in accordancewith some embodiments. In some embodiments, substrate 20 is lightlydoped with a p-type or an n-type impurity.

Referring to FIG. 1B, pad layer 22 and mask layer 24 may be formed onsemiconductor substrate 20. Pad layer 22 may be a thin film comprisingsilicon oxide formed, for example, using a thermal oxidation process.Pad layer 22 may act as an adhesion layer between semiconductorsubstrate 20 and mask layer 24. Pad layer 22 may also act as an etchstop layer for etching mask layer 24. In some embodiments, mask layer 24is formed of silicon nitride, for example, using Low-Pressure ChemicalVapor Deposition (LPCVD). In other embodiments, mask layer 24 is formedby thermal nitridation of silicon, Plasma Enhanced Chemical VaporDeposition (PECVD), or plasma anodic nitridation. Mask layer 24 is usedas a hard mask during the subsequent photolithography processes.

As shown in FIG. 1B, in order to form trenches 26, mask layer 24 and padlayer 22 are etched, exposing underlying semiconductor substrate 20. Theexposed semiconductor substrate 20 is then etched, forming trenches 26.The portions of semiconductor substrate 20 between neighboring trenches26 form semiconductor strips 30. Trenches 26 may be strips (when viewedin the top view of wafer 100, FIG. 1A) that are parallel to each other.The portions of semiconductor substrate 20 between neighboring trenches26 are referred to as semiconductor strips 30 hereinafter.

Referring again to FIG. 1B, in accordance with some embodiments, theformation of trenches 26 include two stages. In the first stage, trenchportions 26A, which have substantially straight sidewalls, are formed.The formation of trench portions 26 may comprise an anisotropic dryetch. During the etching for forming trench portions 26, etchant gasessuch as HBr, CH₂F₂, oxygen (O₂), chlorine (Cl₂), and/or the like, may beused, wherein plasma is generated from the etchant gas to perform theetching. In accordance with some embodiments, in the first etching step,a bias voltage ranging from about 100 V to about 300 V is applied onsubstrate 20. The pressure of the chamber, in which the etching isperformed, may be between about 5 mTorr and about 30 mTorr in accordancewith some embodiments. Depth D1 of trench portions 26A may be betweenabout 30 Å and about 1,500 Å in accordance with some embodiments.

In the first etching stage, the etchant gas is so selected, so thatpolymer 28 is generated as a by-product of the etching. For example,CH₂F₂ may be selected for it tendency for generating polymer 28. Inaddition, process conditions are adjusted, and the process conditionssuitable for generating thicker polymer 28 may be selected. During thefirst etching stage, the sidewalls of trench portions 26A are protectedby polymer 28, and the bottoms of trench portions 26A are not protectedby polymer 28. After the first etching stage, a second etching stage isperformed to further extend trenches 26 down, and to expand trenches 26laterally to form trench portions 26B. In some embodiments, the secondetching stage is more isotropic than the first etching stage, and mayinclude both the anisotropic component and the isotropic component. Inalternative embodiments, the second etch stage is an isotropic etch. Thesecond etching stage may also be performed using dry plasma etching, andmay be performed using an etchant gas less prone to generating polymer.For example, the etching gas may include SF₆ and O₂. In the secondetching stage, the bias voltage applied on substrate 20 is smaller thanthe bias voltage applied during the first etching stage in accordancewith some exemplary embodiments. After the second etching stage, polymer28 is removed.

Due to the protection of polymer 28, in the second etching stage, trenchportions 26A are not expanded laterally. The bottoms of trench portions26A are not protected by polymer 28, and hence substrate 20 is etchedfrom the bottoms of trench portions 26A, resulting in trench portions26B to be formed. Due to the isotropic behavior of the second etchingstage, trench portions 26B expand laterally and vertically at the sametime. By controlling the etching time, neighboring trench portions 26Bmay be connected to each other, and hence form a continuous openingunderneath a plurality of semiconductor strips 30. The interconnectionof neighboring trench portions 26B in FIG. 1B may be achieved, forexample, by ensuring depth D2 of trench portions 26B to be greater thanthe width W1 of semiconductor strips 30.

In accordance with some embodiments, due to the isotropic etching,bottom surfaces 30A of semiconductor strips 30 are not flat. Bottomsurfaces 30A of some of semiconductor strips 30 may include portion 30A1and portion 30A2, both being curved. Portions 30A1 and 30A2 face towardopposite directions. For example, in the exemplary FIG. 2B, theillustrated portion 30A1 faces left, and the illustrate portion 30A2faces right. The connecting points 30B of portions 30A1 and 30A2 are thelowest points of the respective semiconductor strips 30. Althoughillustrated as a point in the cross-sectional view, the connecting point30B is a line extending in the lengthwise direction of semiconductorstrips 30, as illustrated in FIG. 1C. Furthermore, the leftmost part andthe rightmost part of the illustrated trench portions 26B have curvedboundaries that have the shapes of partial circles or partial ellipses.In some embodiments, the connecting point 30B is substantially alignedto a middle line of the respective overlying semiconductor strip 30.

FIG. 1C illustrates another cross-sectional view obtained from the planecrossing line C-C′ in FIG. 1A, which shows that semiconductor strips 30hang over trench portions 26B.

Referring to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, a dielectric material is filled intotrenches 26 (FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C), followed by a planarization such asChemical Mechanical Polish (CMP) to form dielectric regions 36. Thedielectric material may comprise an oxide (such as silicon oxide), anitride (such as silicon nitride), an oxynitride (such as siliconoxynitride), a carbide (such as silicon carbide), or the like. In someembodiments, the formation of dielectric regions 36 is performed usingFlowable Chemical Vapor Deposition (FCVD). In other embodiments,dielectric regions 36 are formed using other gap-filling methods such asHigh Density Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (HDPCVD). Dielectricregions 36 fill trench portions 26A and 26B (FIG. 1B). The bottomsurfaces 30A of semiconductor strips 30 are in contact with portions ofdielectric regions 36, which portions are overlapped by semiconductorstrips 30. Dielectric regions 36 filling trench portions 26B may beinterconnected as a continuous dielectric region, which may have anon-flat top surface and a non-flat bottom surface.

After the filling of dielectric regions 36, an annealing may beperformed. For example, the anneal may be performed at a temperaturebetween about 200° C. and about 1,200° C. for a duration between about30 minutes and about 120 minutes. The annealing chamber may be filledwith process gases such as nitrogen (N₂), Ar, He, oxygen (O₂), Ozone,hydrogen (H₂), steam (H₂O), and/or the like. In alternative embodiments,the annealing is not performed at this stage. In some embodiments, masklayer 24 and pad layer 22 (FIGS. 1B and 1C) are removed after theformation of dielectric regions 36. In alternative embodiments, masklayer 24 and pad layer 22 are removed after dielectric regions 42 areformed, as shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C.

In some embodiments, the entirety of trenches 26 is filled. Inalternative embodiments, some of trench portions 26B are not fullyfilled, and air gaps 38 are formed therein. It is appreciated thatalthough the term “air gaps” are used, gaps 38 are not necessarilyfilled with air, and may be filled with air, nitrogen, or other gasesthat fill the process chamber when dielectric regions 36 are formed.Gaps 38 may also be vacuumed in some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 2B,there may be a plurality of air gaps 38, each underlying, and possiblyoverlapped by, one of semiconductor strips 32. FIG. 2C illustrates thatair gaps 38 may also formed a long strip having their lengthwisedirections parallel to the lengthwise direction of semiconductor strips30.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate the etching of end portions ofdielectric regions 36 and semiconductor strips 30, and hence trenches 40are formed. After the etching, the remaining middle portions ofsemiconductor strips 30 are physically and electrically disconnectedfrom substrate 20. Since dielectric regions 36 comprise some portionsunderlying semiconductor strips 30, semiconductor strips 30 remainsuspended without falling down. In accordance with some embodiments, theetching is performed using an anisotropic etching method, whereinetchant gases that are configured to attack dielectric regions 36 andsemiconductor strips 30 are used. In some embodiments, the etchant gasescomprise CF₄.

Next, a dielectric material is filled into trenches 40, and theresulting dielectric regions 42 are shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C. Thematerial of dielectric regions 42 may be selected from the same group ofcandidate materials for forming dielectric regions 36, which candidatematerials include oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides, carbides, and the like.Furthermore, dielectric regions 42 may be formed using similar methodsfor forming dielectric regions 36, which methods include FCVD, HDPCVD,and the like. After the formation of dielectric regions 42, an annealingmay be performed. In some embodiments, the annealing is performed at atemperature between about 200° C. and about 1,200° C. for a time periodbetween about 30 minutes and about 120 minutes. The annealing chambermay be filled with process gases such as N₂, Ar, He, O₂, Ozone, H₂, H₂O,and/or the like. In alternative embodiments, the annealing step isskipped.

Dielectric regions 36 and 42 are formed of the same dielectric materialin some embodiments. Accordingly, dielectric regions 36 and 42 are notdistinguishable from each other, or may be distinguishable due to theirdifferent characteristics such as different densities, which may becaused by different process conditions and/or different annealingconditions. In alternative embodiments, dielectric regions 36 and 42 areformed of different materials, and hence may be distinguishable fromeach other. In these embodiments, the interfaces between dielectricregions 36 and 42 may be visible.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C and FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate some exemplaryembodiments in which the material of the top portions of semiconductorstrips are replaced with another semiconductor material. In alternativeembodiments, the steps in FIGS. 5A through 6C are skipped. Referring toFIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, an etch step is performed to recess semiconductorstrips 30, hence the top portions of semiconductor strips 30 areremoved, and trenches 44 are formed. The bottom portions ofsemiconductor strips 30 remain, and are exposed to the resultingtrenches 44. The thickness T1 of the remaining portions of semiconductorstrips 30 may be greater than about 2 nm, so that the remainingsemiconductor strips 30 act as the seed for the subsequent epitaxy.Trenches 44 may have depth D3 between, for example, about 30 nm andabout 1,500 nm.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C, epitaxy semiconductor regions 46are epitaxially grown in trenches 44 (FIG. 5B). Epitaxy semiconductorregions 46 may comprise silicon germanium, silicon carbon, siliconphosphorous, III-V compound semiconductors, or the like. After theepitaxy, a planarization such as a CMP is performed, so that the topsurfaces of epitaxy semiconductor regions 46 are substantially levelwith the top surfaces of dielectric regions 36 and 42.

Next, as also shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C, dielectric regions 36 and42 are recessed. The portions of semiconductor strips 30 protruding overthe top surfaces of the remaining dielectric regions 36 and 42 becomesemiconductor fins 48. The recessing of dielectric regions 36 and 42 maybe performed using a dry etch process or a wet etch process. In someembodiments, the recessing of dielectric regions 36 and 42 is performedusing a dry etch method, in which the process gases including NH₃ and HFare used. In alternative embodiments, the recessing of dielectricregions 36 and 42 is performed using a wet etch method, in which theetchant solution includes NF₃ and HF. In yet other embodiments, therecessing of dielectric regions 36 and 42 is performed using a dilutionHF solution.

As shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, gate dielectric 50 is formed to coverthe top surfaces and sidewalls of fins 48. Gate dielectric 50 may beformed through a thermal oxidation process, and hence may include athermal silicon oxide. Alternatively, gate dielectric 50 is formedthrough a deposition step, and may comprise high-k dielectric materials.Gate electrode 52 is then formed on gate dielectric 50. In someembodiments, gate electrode 52 covers a plurality of fins 48, so thatthe resulting FinFET 54 comprises a plurality of fins 48. In alternativeembodiments, each of fins 48 may be used to form one FinFET. Theremaining components of FinFET 54, which components include sourceregions 56, drain regions 58, and source and drain silicide regions 60(FIGS. 8A and 8C) are then formed. As shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C,semiconductor strips 30/44 are fully isolated from substrate 20 bydielectric regions 36 and 42, and hence the leakage current of theresulting FinFET 54 is small.

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C illustrate FinFET 54 formed in accordance withalternative embodiments. In these embodiments, the process steps inFIGS. 5A through 6C are skipped, and hence semiconductor strips 30remain not replaced by epitaxy regions. Accordingly, semiconductor fins48 are formed of the same material as substrate 20. The remainingprocess steps and the materials in these embodiments are essentially thesame as shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C.

In accordance with some embodiments, in the formation of trench portions26B, as shown in FIG. 1B, the etching time is prolonged. As a result,bottom surfaces 30A of semiconductor strips 30 may be substantiallyflat. The resulting structure is shown in FIG. 10.

In accordance with alternative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, theetching time is shortened, and hence the neighboring trench portions 26Bare disconnected from each other. In these embodiments, semiconductorstrips 30 are connected to the underlying semiconductor substrate 20 byconnecting substrate portions 31, which are narrower than the overlyingsemiconductor strips 30. Substrate portions 31 may have graduallychanged widths, wherein the middle portions of substrate portions 31have width W2 smaller than widths W3 of the upper portions and widths W4of the lower portions. The cross-sectional view shapes of trenchportions 26B may have the shapes close to circles or ellipses in theseembodiments. The profile of trench portions 26B in FIG. 11 may beachieved, for example, by ensuring depth D2 of trench portions 26Bsmaller than width W1 of semiconductor strips 30.

In accordance with some embodiments, in the formation of trench portions26B, as shown in FIG. 1B, the process conditions are adjusted, so thatthe sidewalls of semiconductor strips 30 are vertical. In alternativeembodiments, as also shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the sidewalls ofsemiconductor strips 30 are slanted. For example, slant angle α of thesidewalls of semiconductor strips 30 may be smaller than about 87degrees. Similar to the structure shown in FIG. 1B, FIG. 12 illustratesthat the bottom surfaces of semiconductor strips 30 are not flat.

Similar to the structure shown in FIG. 10, FIG. 13 illustrates that thebottom surfaces of semiconductor strips 30 are flat, which may beachieved by prolonging the etching time in the formation of trenchportions 26B (FIG. 1B). The sidewalls of semiconductor strips 30 in FIG.13 are slanted and have slant angle α.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by expanding the widths ofthe bottom portions of recesses in the formation of isolation regions,the resulting isolation regions may extend directly underlying thesemiconductor strips. Hence, the semiconductor strips may be fullyinsulated from the respective substrate, and hence the leakage currentsof the resulting FinFETs are reduced.

In accordance with some embodiments, an integrated circuit deviceincludes a semiconductor substrate, and a semiconductor strip extendinginto the semiconductor substrate. A first and a second dielectric regionare on opposite sides of, and in contact with, the semiconductor strip.Each of the first dielectric region and the second dielectric regionincludes a first portion level with the semiconductor strip, and asecond portion lower than the semiconductor strip. The second portionfurther includes a portion overlapped by the semiconductor strip.

In accordance with other embodiments, an integrated circuit deviceincludes a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of semiconductorstrips extending into the semiconductor substrate. The plurality ofsemiconductor strips is parallel to each other. The plurality ofsemiconductor strips has non-flat bottom surfaces. A plurality ofdielectric strips is between the plurality of semiconductor strips andseparating the plurality of semiconductor strips from each other. Adielectric region is underlying the plurality of semiconductor strips,wherein the dielectric region is in contact with the non-flat bottomsurfaces of the plurality of semiconductor strips.

In accordance with yet other embodiments, a method includes performing afirst etching to etch a semiconductor substrate and to form top portionsof a plurality of trenches, wherein portions of the semiconductorsubstrate separated by the plurality of trenches form semiconductorstrips. A second etching is performed to etch the semiconductorsubstrate and to form bottom portions of the plurality of trenches. Thebottom portions of the trenches are wider than the top portions of theplurality of trenches. A first dielectric material is filled into thetop portions and the bottom portions of the plurality of trenches,wherein portions of the first dielectric material in the top portions ofthe plurality of trenches form dielectric strips. End portions of thedielectric strips and the semiconductor strips are etched to form afirst and a second additional trench. The first and the secondadditional trenches are filled with a second dielectric material to formadditional dielectric regions.

Although the embodiments and their advantages have been described indetail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions andalterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the embodiments as defined by the appended claims. Moreover,the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited tothe particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, andcomposition of matter, means, methods and steps described in thespecification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing orlater to be developed, that perform substantially the same function orachieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodimentsdescribed herein may be utilized according to the disclosure.Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within theirscope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter,means, methods, or steps. In addition, each claim constitutes a separateembodiment, and the combination of various claims and embodiments arewithin the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An integrated circuit device comprising: asemiconductor substrate; a semiconductor strip extending into thesemiconductor substrate; a first and a second dielectric region onopposite sides of, and in contact with, the semiconductor strip, whereineach of the first dielectric region and the second dielectric regioncomprises: a first portion level with the semiconductor strip; and asecond portion lower than the semiconductor strip, wherein the secondportion further comprises a portion overlapped by the semiconductorstrip; and an air gap underlying and overlapped by the semiconductorstrip, wherein the air gap is enclosed by dielectric materials.
 2. Theintegrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the second portion of thefirst dielectric region is continuously joined to the second portion ofthe second dielectric region, with no distinguishable interface betweenthe second portion of the first dielectric region and the second portionof the second dielectric region.
 3. The integrated circuit device ofclaim 1, wherein the first dielectric region and the second dielectricregion have lengthwise directions parallel to a lengthwise direction ofthe semiconductor strip, and wherein the integrated circuit devicefurther comprises: a third and a fourth dielectric region on oppositeends of, and in contact with, the semiconductor strip, wherein each ofthe third dielectric region and the fourth dielectric region is incontact with the first and the second dielectric region.
 4. Theintegrated circuit device of claim 3, wherein the first and the seconddielectric regions are formed of a first dielectric material, andwherein the third and the fourth dielectric regions are formed of asecond dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.5. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein a top portion ofthe semiconductor strip is higher than top surfaces of the first and thesecond dielectric regions, with the top portion of the semiconductorstrip forming a semiconductor fin, and wherein the integrated circuitdevice further comprises: a gate dielectric on sidewalls and a topsurface of the semiconductor fin; a gate electrode over the gatedielectric; and a source region and a drain region on opposite sides ofthe gate dielectric.
 6. The integrated circuit device of claim 5,wherein the air gap comprises a first portion overlapped by the sourceregion, a second portion overlapped by the drain region, and a thirdportion connecting the first portion to the second portion.
 7. Theintegrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the air gap has a stripshape, and is overlapped by a center portion of the semiconductor strip.8. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductorstrip comprises a downwardly pointing tip overlapping the air gap.
 9. Anintegrated circuit device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; aplurality of semiconductor strips extending into the semiconductorsubstrate, wherein the plurality of semiconductor strips is parallel toeach other, and wherein the plurality of semiconductor strips comprisesnon-flat bottom surfaces; a plurality of dielectric strips between theplurality of semiconductor strips and separating the plurality ofsemiconductor strips from each other; and a dielectric region underlyingthe plurality of semiconductor strips, wherein the dielectric region isin contact with the non-flat bottom surfaces of the plurality ofsemiconductor strips, and wherein the dielectric region is formed of ahomogeneous material that extends continuously underlying the pluralityof semiconductor strips and the plurality of dielectric strips, with nodistinguishable interface in the dielectric region.
 10. The integratedcircuit device of claim 9 further comprising a first and a seconddielectric region contacting end edges of the plurality of semiconductorstrips and end edges of the plurality of dielectric strips.
 11. Theintegrated circuit device of claim 9, wherein the dielectric regioncomprises a first portion and a second portion overlapped by a first anda second one of the plurality of semiconductor strips, respectively, andwherein no distinguishable interface is formed between the first portionand the second portion of the dielectric region.
 12. The integratedcircuit device of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of air gaps,each overlapped by one of the plurality of semiconductor strips.
 13. Theintegrated circuit device of claim 12, wherein one of the semiconductorstrips comprises a downwardly pointing tip directly over one of theplurality of air gaps.
 14. The integrated circuit device of claim 9,wherein each of the plurality of semiconductor strips comprises: a topportion formed of a first semiconductor material different from asemiconductor material of the semiconductor substrate; and a bottomportion formed of a second semiconductor material same as thesemiconductor material of the semiconductor substrate.
 15. An integratedcircuit device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductorstrip extending into the semiconductor substrate, wherein thesemiconductor strip has a first lengthwise direction parallel to a majorsurface of the semiconductor substrate; a first dielectric regioncomprising: a first and a second portion on opposite sides of, and incontact with, sidewalls of the semiconductor strip, wherein the firstportion and the second portion have lengthwise directions parallel tothe first lengthwise direction; and a third portion extending underlyingthe semiconductor strip, wherein the third portion comprises a topsurface in contact with a bottom surface of the semiconductor strip; asecond dielectric region extending into the semiconductor substrate,wherein the second dielectric region has a second lengthwise directionperpendicular to the first lengthwise direction, and the seconddielectric region comprises an edge in contact with end edges of thesemiconductor strip and the first and the second portions of the firstdielectric region, and wherein the first dielectric region and thesecond dielectric region form distinguishable interfaces; and an air gapin the third portion of the first dielectric region.
 16. The integratedcircuit device of claim 15, wherein the first dielectric region and thesecond dielectric region are formed of a same dielectric material. 17.The integrated circuit device of claim 15, wherein the first dielectricregion and the second dielectric region are formed of differentdielectric materials.
 18. The integrated circuit device of claim 15,wherein the air gap has a lengthwise direction parallel to the firstlengthwise direction.
 19. The integrated circuit device of claim 15,wherein the air gap is overlapped by a center portion of thesemiconductor strip, and wherein the semiconductor strip furthercomprises additional portions on opposite sides of the center portion,with the additional portions of the semiconductor strip not overlappingthe air gap.
 20. The integrated circuit device of claim 15, wherein theair gap comprises opposite curved sidewalls curving in oppositedirections.